Ernst & Young has released a 53-page report that explores how brands are using social media in India. The report surveyed 48 social media savvy organizations in India including P&G, Cleartrip, Flipkart, Microsoft and others.

You can view download a printable PDF copy of the report from box.net or view it inline on Google Docs.

Here are some of key findings shared in the E&Y report:

Facebook is the most important platform for marketers in India for engaging customers, followed by Twitter, YouTube and blogging. More than half of the organizations surveyed regularly engage with bloggers or online influencers who have authority and strong following.

Most brands in India use social media to build communities while others use it to highlight news. They prefer to post generic updates instead of brand updates.

Almost half of social media-savvy organizations surveyed spend 1%–5% of their marketing budget on social media, most social media budgets are below INR 10 million.

Majority of social media efforts in India are managed by marketing teams. They use standalone digital agencies as compared to PR or ad agencies.

Indian brands are primarily focusing their attention on Facebook and Twitter while Google Plus, Foursquare and Pinterest are not on the radar, at least in the near future.

Amit Agarwal is a web geek and founder of Digital Inspiration, a popular tech & how-to website. He has been blogging for over a decade and has also contributed to the Wall Street Journal, Lifehacker and The Financial Express. Sign-up for the email newsletter for your daily dose of tips & tutorials.